This invention relates to tufting machines, and more particularly to a looper apparatus for a multiple-needle tufting machine adapted to form loop pile and cut pile in the same row of stitching.
In multiple-needle tufting machines having conventional gauges of 3/16" or greater, loop pile and cut pile have been formed in the same row of stitching by looper apparatus, such as that disclosed in the Card U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,645, issued Apr. 9, 1963.
In the prior Card patent, the looper apparatus includes a hook having a smooth, pointed bill extending in the direction opposite from the direction of the fabric feed. A looper clip is fixed to the needle side of each hook and extends along, but is laterally spaced from and below the lower or bottom edge of, the hook, and then terminates in a free end or clamp portion biased into engagement against the free or pointed end portion of the hook. In the prior Card patent, the speed of the yarn fed to the needles is selectively controlled by a pattern control mechanism. Normal lengths of yarn are fed to the needles for making a normal-length loop pile which is secured and held upon the bill of the looper apparatus and subsequently cut by a knife to form a normal length cut-pile tuft. On the other hand, when the pattern control mechanism starves the yarn feed, tension is applied to the yarn caught on the hook. As the hook retracts, the yarn forces the clamping end of the looper clip way from the bill so that the loop is released and shortened, but is not cut, to thereby form a shorter uncut pile loop.
However, since the trend in the tufting industry is to employ more narrow needle gauges for forming tufted fabrics, such as carpet, the hooks, looper clips and knives become more crowded, as the gauge of the needles is reduced. Where the gauge is reduced to 5/32 of an inch, the knives must be set with more care, thereby requiring more time, so that the looper clips will not interfere with the knives.
When the gauge is reduced to 1/8 of an inch, the setting of knives becomes critical. When the gauge is reduced to 1/10" or less production of tufting fabrics including loop pile and cut pile in the same row of stitching formed by adjacent hooks, knives and looper clips, becomes extremely difficult.
Where the gauge is so narrow, the looper clips of one looper interferes with the knife of the adjacent looper.
Several attempts have been made to provide looper apparatus including various types of clip construction and supports to provide ample room for the hooks, knives and clips in the more narrow or fine gauge tufting machines. Some examples of these looper and clip arrangements are found in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ 4,103,629 Card Aug. 1, 1978 4,155,319 Short May 22, 1979 4,241,675 Bardsley Dec. 30, 1980 4,241,676 Parsons et al Dec. 30, 1980 ______________________________________
It will be noted in all of the looper apparatus recited in the above U.S. patents that the looper clips are fixed or attached directly to the loopers or hooks, and in most instances directly to the intermediate body portion or neck of the hook.
Therefore, in all the devices, except the looper apparatus disclosed in the above Bardsley U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,675, the overall width of the looper apparatus is increased by the thickness of the body of the looper clip. At least some portion of all the looper clips extend above, below, or in close proximity to the entire length of the bill of the hook, so that if the clip becomes bent, sprung or disoriented, within the limited space afforded, defective tufting operations will result.